The Winter's Queen
by Salathi
Summary: Elsa, the Winter Queen of the fae has been working as a personal guard and servant for a certain human princess for nearly 17 years. her identity and location unknown to all but herself. Why did she leave her kingdom? Why is her identiy a secret? and why would a Queen lower herself to that of a servant? fairy!Elsa human!Anna eventually Elsanna(non-incest) and smut
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This is a heavily AU world, read my brief explanation before you start the chapter if you wish to understand some of the history of the story as well as a more in-depth understanding of some of the things happening in the story.

**Elsa history: **Elsa is the Winter Queen of the fae and for reason unknown to anyone but herself (and of course me) she had fled her kingdom leaving Snow White, one of the fae nobles and her best friend to run the kingdom of winter. Elsa arrives in the human kingdom of Arendelle and persuades the king to accept her into the court, no one knows the "Ambassador Elsa" is in fact Queen Elsa. (a common name among the fae) Queen Elsa's croí fíor is a snowflake (you will learn what a croí fíor is in the next paragraph).

**Facts of the fae:** They are immortal and split into four nations; Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring; all of the kingdoms besides Winter are ruled by a King and Queen. The Winter Kingdom is ruled by a single monarch Queen Elsa. Fae are cursed/blessed with the ability to recognize their true love at first sight much like imprinting for werewolves (it strongly resembles imprinting from twilight at least in Elsa's case, you will understand as soon as you start the story). Every fae possess what is called a croí fíor or true heart. It is a unique tattoo branded from birth someone on the body of every fae, its placement and pattern are unique to each fae (yes kinda like MLP so sue me). It is this tattoo that is the key to their magic, life and mind. This tattoo can be removed from a fae's body and it forms into a crystal in the pattern of the tattoo. When this is done anyone with the croí fíor has control of the fae it came from. Should the croí fíor be broken the fae will die. Should someone be holding the croí fíor when they ask a fae a question the fae must answer fully without half-truths. A fae can also find their croí fíor and if two fae exchange croí fíor the can speak mind to mind and even use the magic the other possesses, it is common for fae to do this exchange with their true love.

**Cover Art: **I had a lot of trouble picking out a good piece for this story but I settled on a beautiful and very detailed piece by artgerm on deviantart

**My Awesome beta reader:** Heroism as he is known on fanficiton has put forth is almighty skill to make sure that this piece of work is free of grammatical errors. He has also had many helpful pieces of advice to improve my writing in general.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Frozen_ or its characters. Bam I said it now I'm safe... right? Lol

**Author's other note:** I worked on this piece when I took breaks from Thawed hearts chapter 2 reboot (which is at least half done now) and Frozen Blood chapter 4 (which I plan to have at least half done in the next 2 hours)

**The Winter's Queen**

Chapter 1

"Tell me a story, Elsa?" My red-haired five year old charge begged as she jumped up and down on my bed.

"Anna, you are supposed to be in bed," I said, chiding her gently. I hadn't been asleep, but at least I was pretending to be. Anna stubbornly stuck out her little chin and said in a voice that was her best imitation of her father Adgar.

"Consider it a royal order!" And at that I sighed in defeat. I knew she wouldn't go to bed until I read to her so I climbed out of my bed and picked her up.

"Yes your highness." I whispered in her ear and kissed her cheek, causing her to giggle.

I brought her back to her bed, which was just in the room connected to my own by a single door. I was her guardian, her protector and caretaker when needed; and I had been since the day she was born into this world.

"Which story would you like tonight, my little snowflake?" I asked Anna as I tucked her into bed, having navigated through her messy room with practiced ease. Anna gently fingered the snowflake charm around her neck at the use of her nickname before her face lit up in excitement.

"The story about the four Queens!" Anna shouted in a high-pitched voice and trying to sit back up, but I held her down with a hand to her shoulder.

"Again?" I asked in a teasing voice. It was Anna's favorite story. She had picked it each night for the past week.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Anna said excitedly and I, once again, had to hold her down.

"Alright, alright." I chuckled softly and sat on the side of her bed.

"Long ago there was a darkness that covered this land. There was unrest among the people, war between countries and even the seasons themselves seemed to be at odds. Snow would blanket the ground one day, only to be melted by the blistering sun the next. Now there was the kingdom of Tír, which today means Land. The kingdom of Tír was a magical place ruled by the fae and they used their magic to keep all others barred from their land.

"The human kingdom around Tír eventually came to believe that it was the fault of the fae and their magic that the very seasons were in conflict, and so they united in their anger and marched upon the fae. The ruler of Tír, who was named Maleficent, foresaw this assault before it reached them. Together with her four daughters, Maleficent cast the strongest spell in known history. She created a new land, apart from her own kingdom. This land could only be accessed through magical pathways and the humans could not find entry to it. Maleficent died upon completion of her spell, for the magic had been much too powerful for her body to handle and there was then a debate of who should rise to take her place. Traditionally a parent names an heir from among all their children regardless of who was born first. It is one of the many ways we differ from humans in our customs." I patted Anna's head at this, making her smile.

"And then what happened?" Anna asked in a soft voice as if she didn't already know.

Flashes of memories raced through my mind at her simple question. _"Battles—so many battles," _ I thought sadly. Images of blood and bodies littering beautiful green fields that seemed to drink in the blood as if it were rainwater filled my vision for a moment before I focused on the beautiful teal eyes looking up at me. I focused on those eyes and let my happier memories, bright memories (mainly those filled with Anna) replace the dark and grim ones.

"The four sisters eventually came to the decision that they would split into four kingdoms. Queen Rapunzel, the eldest of the four sisters claimed the field-land in which it was eternally summer. Queen Aurora claimed the forest in which everything was always growing; the land of eternal spring. Queen Merida picked the hill country in which the trees were in a frozen state of autumn. And the youngest Queen, Queen Elsa settled the only land remaining to her; the mountainous region of eternal winter. As the Queens each sat upon their thrones, the seasons in the human realm slowly stabilized, and over the course of a few years returned to their normal state." I stopped my story there as I heard a soft snore from my little snowflake.

Standing up quietly, I returned to my own bed and settled in. I let my mind drift to sleep, dreams of my past coming to the fore.

_I walked through heavy oak doors into a large throne room. The doors were beautiful, with large, finely-detailed trees carved into the surface of each one. I found myself staring at them as I walked through._

_Once I tore my eyes from the doors I noticed the human king and queen upon their thrones. King Adgar and Queen Idun, though very close trade partners to my own kingdom, have never in fact seen me; the Winter Queen. Dressed as I was, I doubt they realized just who they were speaking to, which is exactly what I wanted._

"_Greetings, Ambassador Elsa. To what do we owe this visit?" King Adgar spoke up from his throne. I wasn't afraid that he might discover I was no ambassador, but in fact the Queen herself, just because we shared names. In fact, I had sent other ambassadors before and two of them had shared my name._

"_Your Majesty." I bowed low. I was dressed as a 'man' as these humans say—in brown breeches and a deep blue tunic. "I come as a gift of sorts from the Queen. I have extensive experience in many areas: healing, battle, and politics only to name a few. I can also educate you in matters of fae politics, culture and abilities. Queen Elsa believes that our nations would benefit if we had a better understanding of each other. I was sent as a sign of good faith and trust to you, if you will accept the proposal, of course."_

_The king leaned forward in blatant surprise at my words._

"_This is.. most surprising, Ambassador Elsa. I had not thought the Queen one to give her subjects to another." The king furrowed his eyes as he worked through all I had said. He knew that I, like all fae, could not lie. We could, however, leave out parts of the truth and I knew he was looking for what might have been hidden under my words._

"_Will you remain under the Queen's authority while in my court? Will you make reports to her?" He finally asked, leaning back into his throne._

"_No, Your Majesty." I answered simply. I couldn't do either. I was the Queen, after all. One does not report to themselves, nor is one under one's own authority._

"_Are you a criminal of any kind? Have you been sent here as a form of banishment?"_

"_No, Your Majesty." I said again calmly. I had expected all of these questions. I did not however expect the next one._

"_Do you have a _comhpháirtí an chroí_?" I was shocked that a human even knew such a phrase, though I didn't believe him to know what it truly meant. It was a fair question. If I was bonded to someone like that, all I knew they would know and should they wish to tell others they could._

"_Is é mo__chroí__mo chuid féin__. My heart is my own," I replied, forcing my voice to remain calm and strong. And the king nodded._

"_Then I accept the Queen's proposal, Elsa. Welcome to Arendelle. I will have my servants show you to some guest quarters and we can discuss this evening what role you will play in my court._

_In the end it was decided that I would aid the castle's healer, Gerda, as well as share my knowledge of herb lore with her to help expand her skills. And it was because of this position that I was present for the birth of Princess Anna and my world was changed forever._

-^-v-^-(Eleven Years Later)-^-v-^-

Anna sat on a three-legged stool, fiddling with her snowflake necklace as she watched me do up her fiery red hair into a tight bun atop her head in the mirror. The air between us was tense and nervous. Tonight was a party, hosted by her father for the sole purpose of showing Anna off to suitors from other nations, and Anna was a complete bundle of nerves because of it. I, on the other hand, was aching with protectiveness and jealousy at the thought of so many men pursuing my Anna's hand in marriage.

I breathed a heavy sigh and did my best to relax. She wasn't mine: "_I can't own her," _I reminded myself, though it didn't help at all.

"Why do I have to wear this?" Anna asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Huh, wear what?" I replied, blushing slightly at my obvious inattention.

"This necklace—why do I have to wear it?" Anna asked again, holding up her necklace to show it to me.

"Anna…" I sighed and reached around to tweak her nose. "You know why, so long as you wear it I will always be able to find you, to protect you."

Anna pouted. "But it doesn't match my dress." That wasn't a complete lie and I sighed in defeat. Her dress was a beautiful piece of crimson and gold, and the ice blue charm around her neck was in stark contrast to it. In my eyes it was a beautiful contrast but Anna liked for all her colors to match.

I knew she wanted me to use my magic to glamour the necklace to look like something else. I forced a look of annoyance onto my face.

"You want me to do it again, don't you?" I asked in mock-irritation, though honestly I love the way Anna adores my magic.

"Please!" Anna said excitedly and I couldn't hold in my smile.

"Alright, which one this time?" I asked and Anna hopped off the stool to rummage through her jewelry box, finally pulling out a golden chain from which a large, heart-shaped ruby hung.

"This one would look beautiful," Anna said, handling the piece as if it was a child.

I took a moment to lock the image of the necklace in my mind and then waved my hand, not that the hand motion was needed. The appearance of her snowflake necklace shimmered briefly until it was replaced with the image matching the necklace in Anna's hand.

I smiled warmly as Anna 'awed' softly and cupped the necklace at her neck.

"That never gets old, Elsa. It's beautiful every time." Anna said, smiling at me and I nodded, blushing slightly.

"Well, Your Highness, it is about time for us to head down to dinner." I hinted gently, causing Anna to pout for my benefit before straightening her shoulders and doing her best to walk gracefully from the room with me as her shadow, catching her as she tripped in the doorway—just as I knew she would.

-^-v-^-(After the party, Elsa)-^-v-^-

I sat on the garden wall cloaked in glamour so that those below couldn't see as I kept my eyes trained on Anna. Dinner had gone smoothly with the princes making only polite conversation with Anna. But the dance afterwards had been torture for me. Prince after prince came and laid their hands on Anna as they danced around the ballroom and Anna blushed and laughed and flirted with several of them, and now she was walking through the gardens with three of them. They were all respectful, but obviously competing for her hand and Anna was soaking up the attention.

After a while Anna turned and curtsied, muttering something I couldn't make out and each of the princes bowed in return and turned away. The last one, however, paused and reached for Anna's hand and kissed it as he bowed and I heard Anna's giggle ring out from the contact. I grit my teeth. The prince straightened after a moment and then left.

I leaped down from the wall once Anna was alone and I leaned against it for a moment, closing my eyes and focusing my thoughts. I was so close to losing control and I desperately searched for a memory to focus on, a happy time.

_It was two years ago. Anna and I were laying in a meadow after a long day of riding. Anna loved to ride and took trips out through the surrounding area every day, with me, her guard, always at her side. The day had ended a few hours ago and the stars were starting to peak out from the night sky. It was there under those stars that Anna shared her dreams of the future with me._

"_You wanna know my dreams, Elsa?" Anna had whispered as she stared up at the stars. My heart leaped and I smiled broadly at her._

"_Of course I do," I said, enthusiastically staring at her, my star so much brighter to me than those overhead._

"_I dream that one day I will meet my true love. It doesn't matter to me where he comes from, his past or his looks because if its true love I'll love it all anyways, right? I mean, it would help if he was a prince of course but I am sure I could convince father to let me marry him." At her words, the smile on my face fell and my heart clenched tightly but Anna couldn't see that. I knew Anna wanted a man. She had crushed on many boys already but to hear it like this, to hear the longing and wonder in her voice for her true love cut me deeply._

"_And once we're married we'll have children, and they will be so beautiful and perfect." Anna continued in a breathless voice, her eyes distant as if she were living the very dream she was sharing with me. Another stab to my chest. She wanted children.. another thing I could not give her. "I can't wait to watch them grow and make families of their own." Anna finished with a sigh before turning to look at me. I hastily forced a look of polite attention onto my face but I must have been too slow because Anna suddenly looked confused and worried when she saw my face._

"_Elsa…? Are you alright?" She asked me, moving to sit up._

"_I am fine, Princess Anna." I said, breathing deeply and focusing on her eyes. It felt like I was burying my pain under the love I held for her._

_Anna watched me for a few long moments before sighing deeply. "Fine, I know you won't tell me what's bothering you; you never do." She pushed me playfully at those words and broke into a smile._

"_Hey Elsa, what are your dreams? What do you want to do with your life?" I froze at her words, surprised and unsure what to say, but glad for the moment the snowflake charm around her neck was against her dress and not her skin._

_Anna's face fell as she watched me and she looked down. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry or anything—I was just curious." And she laid back down, staring at the sky and no longer looking at me._

"_Anna… I am sorry. I was just surprised is all." I said gently, sitting up myself this time to look down at her. She turned her head slightly and watched me expectantly and I sighed inwardly._

_I didn't know what to tell her. I couldn't tell her the truth, not yet at least, but at the same time I was fae I could not lie even if I wanted too. "She is still too young for the truth," I told myself. I settled for a trick that all fae use. We cannot lie but we can tell half-truths so that's what I did._

"_My dream is similar to yours," I said simply and she waited for me to say more. And when I didn't she sat up and mock-glared at me._

"_Oh come on Elsa, give me more than that." I smiled and flicked her nose before getting up and walking to the horses. Grumbling, Anna followed; but I wore a smile on the ride back, unable to hide the joy that Anna had wished to know more about me._

"Elsa?" I jerked as I heard Anna's voice in the present and I opened my eyes, ending the flow of memories.

"Yes, Anna?" I asked, forcing a smile and bowing slightly.

"What are you doing out here?" Anna asked curiously. "I haven't seen you at all since you dropped me off in the dining hall."

"I was just watching you as is my duty, Your Highness. Though I admit I took a short break once I saw those princes leave." Anna blushed a little at this.

"So.. you saw me with them?" she asked a little nervously and I nodded.

"I would be a poor personal guard if I didn't," I replied and stood up straight, no longer leaning on the wall.

Anna smiled and sighed deeply as if accepting that I saw it.

"Well it's like my dreams are coming true Elsa." I flinched on the inside but keep my outward appearance firmly neutral. "I mean, I don't really know if I love any of them. Not yet, anyway but I could see myself loving a few of them." Anna's eyes took on a dreamy, glazed look as she lost herself in her dreamland once again. I locked myself down emotionally just as I did back at court, where emotions were used against you, where they were a sign of weakness.

"Hey Elsa, how about you?" I stared at her dumbly, completely lost for a moment at her abrupt change of topic. "You know, your dreams? Are any of them coming closer to reality yet?" And the wall I had been putting up cracked a little. I failed to notice that just a small piece of Anna's snowflake necklace was touching her collar bone above the neckline of her dress.

"No," I answered simply, but then as if something else controlled my mouth I added, "they won't happen. My dreams will remain dreams." I clamped my jaws shut and trembled slightly. It was the truth that I didn't believe I would ever have the wonderful girl in front of me, but that doesn't mean I should have said what I did.

Anna's smile faded at my words and she stepped forward, worried. "Elsa, what do you mean?" And as if Anna had cast a spell with her words, I spoke up again without thinking.

"I can never be with the one I love, not without changing who they are and I would never want that, ever." Again, truth—I could never be with Anna. She wouldn't want me; she wanted a man, a human man and I was a woman and fae. She wouldn't want me. And I wouldn't want to change her just to make us a possibility.

Anna looked even more confused and stepped closer, putting her hands on my shoulders. "Elsa, don't say that, I am sure it will work out. Remember all the stories you told me? True love always finds a way." _Not this time,_ I thought and turned away.

There was silence for a few moments before I heard Anna whisper a question. "Who do you love Elsa? I would love to meet him. Maybe I can even beat some sense into him. Like, seriously, who would turn a beautiful woman like you down?"

I bit my lip firmly so as not to mindlessly answer this question like all the others. I finally realized what was going on as my eyes fell on the snowflake that was now half on her collarbone because of her raised arms. She was my true love. I knew that the moment I saw her as all fae are cursed, or blessed to know their true love at first sight. Because of that I had given her my croí fíor, my true heart and I was bound to be open with her and completely truthful with her without hiding any details if it touched her skin. Before I could make up my mind to flee I felt Anna turn me to face her once more and she stared at me.

"Elsa, answer me," she said in a firm whisper and I was unable to keep my mouth closed.

"You." I said, and Anna's face went blank with shock before turning to denial and then what I think was brief disgust before denial once again was plain on her face. But I didn't see it because I was already running away with the look of disgust on her face burned into my mind and soul.

-^-v-^-(Anna)-^-v-^-

_Me?_ I thought dumbly as I processed Elsa words. _No, that can't be. I'm a woman, she's a woman. It's not right. It's wrong against our laws.. and it's.. well, gross… isn't it? _I thought in a daze. _No, she can't be serious, I'm sure. I'll ask her again. I'm sure it was just a joke; something to hide the truth from me. I mean, I know she loves me—we're best friends so she could have said me and not lied right? _I opened my mouth to ask her again who her true love was, only to realize she was no longer standing in front of me. I was alone in the garden.

"Elsa!" I called out, whirling around to look for her, but it was like she had vanished. Then my eyes fell to the ground and I could see where she was off to. The grass had frozen under her feet. It was a clear path to follow.

"Elsa!" I called again as I started after the frozen trail. It quickly left the garden and into the castle.

**Author's note:** I would love to know what you guys think of this. And It was a pleasant distraction when I hit periods of well… writers block or something with Thawed Hearts. I am determined to redo it like I am but the completely lack of reviews (well I got one that Claire Cooper for which I am very grateful) kinda has me down when writing it. I am not sure if the next chapter posted will be for frozen blood or thawed hearts as I am working on them both atm. But I plan to have whichever it is out Sunday night or Monday.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **First things first I just wanna say… WOW ok I thought you guys would like this story but I didn't know you would like it this much! Almost 80 follows for just the first chapter? Gesh I am honored. Next up, below you will find some more about the world of The Winter's Queen explained. Some more fae facts, and history for one of the other Queens who will be introduced in this chapter.

**Merida's History: **Merida is the Queen of the Autumn Court and sworn enemy of Queen Elsa. Many years ago Queen Merida was married, though not to her true love, she still loved the man dearly. It was his death that sparked a war between the Sisters about who would be Queen of all fae. For reasons I will reveal later Merida blames Elsa for his death. Since his death Merida has sworn against all men and has taken no lovers of any kind.

**Fae Fun Facts:** Skin colors! Alright so for the fun of it I decided to give you guys a little bit of info on how the fae look in my world. There are the fae of noble family who have human like appearance (like the four Queens) this fae though in body structure are similar are all very different. Fae from the Winter Court all possess ice blue skin of varying shades. Those of the Autumn Court rang from amber to orange, the Summer Court is shades of green and the Spring Court range from pink to pure white. This skin color distinction didn't exist before the four Kingdoms came into place but once the four Queens sat upon their thrones their followers slowly changed (the winter fae becoming immune to cold for example) to better personify the season from which their kingdom drew its power.

**Cover Art: **I had a lot of trouble picking out a good piece for this story but I settled on a beautiful and very detailed piece by artgerm on DeviantArt.

**My Awesome beta reader:** Heroism as he is known on fanficiton has put forth is almighty skill to make sure that this piece of work is free of grammatical errors. He has also had many helpful pieces of advice to improve my writing in general.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own _Frozen_ or its characters. Bam I said it now I'm safe... right? Lol

**The Winter's Queen**

Chapter 2

-^-v-^-(Elsa)-^-v-^-

"Elsa!" I heard her call a second time as I raced through the gardens, chanting—_Conceal don't feel—_under my breath. My carefully constructed world was crumbling. I had built up a strong friendship with Anna and now that was in danger of being destroyed.

The sorrow building in my heart from the look of disgust on her face and the fear of losing our bond was breaking down every bit of control I had over my magic. I had to get away quickly before I brought suffering to this nation that had harbored me for so long. So I ran; I ran for all I was worth straight through the courtyard and out the front gates where I immediately leapt off the bridge and onto the water below, it freezing as my feet made contact. Then I ran as hard and fast as I could for the open sea, using every bit of focus I had to keep my powers in a tight ball around me.

I ran all night with a small blizzard howling around me, the rhythmic thudding of my feet making a symphony of sound which I focused on to the exclusion of all else. I didn't let myself think about where I was going; I didn't think about what I was running from, but most of all I didn't let my mind wander to the image of Anna's face right before I left.

When my legs finally gave out underneath me and I couldn't will them to pick me back up, I formed a bubble of ice around myself and laid there. I let the darkness around me fill my thoughts, but no matter how hard I tried, without the physical exertion to distract me, my thoughts went to one place and one place only.

Finally my mental torment became too much and I was unable to keep it locked inside any longer. A scream tore itself from my throat, reverberating off the domed ice around me. It became a jumbled discordant noise that hurt my ears, but I didn't care. I screamed, I sobbed. I beat the floor with my fists until they were bloody; I pulled my hair and scratched my body in my anguish, for I was convinced now more than ever that Anna would never be mine. I knew my powers were wild, unchecked—possibly reaching all the way back to Arendelle itself—and most terrifying and painful of all, I feared that Anna would never wish me to return; that she would be so disgusted with my feelings and knowing what they truly were that she would be unable to look at me, to be around me anymore. Sure, she had pursued me but that was in the spur of the moment. Now with my absence she would have time to calm down, time to think and really work out what I had said. I hardly noticed the movement of the sun and moon as I lost myself in my sorrow.

-^-v-^-(Anna)-^-v-^-

"_Tell me about The Winter Queen." I asked, bouncing up and down in my chair. I was seven and had just finished my English lesson from my caretaker, teacher and guard Elsa. But in my eyes she was just like an older sister. She had always been there from my very first memory. She was at my side night and day; serving me, protecting me, playing with me and teaching me everything I knew._

_I didn't notice then but I definitely noticed now as the memory flowed through my dreams. There had been a dreadful look of pain and something else I couldn't make out on her face when I'd given her my request. But she quickly hid it away and pulled up a chair across from me at my desk._

"_What do you want to know, Snowflake?" she asked with a big smile on her face._

"_Well.. what does she look like? Is she beautiful?" I asked even more excitedly, now that I was sure Elsa would tell me about her._

"_Well, many consider her beautiful, yes." She told me, a smirk on her lips._

"_Is she even beautifuller than you?" I asked and Elsa laughed._

"_Not beautifuller; more beautiful and.. I don't know, perhaps if you meet her one day then you can tell me which of us is prettier."_

"_But what does she look like?" I insisted wanting more details._

"_Hm... Her appearance changed when she took the Winter Throne, and very few remember what she looked like before then. But now her eyes are a deep glacier blue and some say that her very gaze can freeze you in place. Her lips are a color of purple close to the grapes you sometimes eat. Her hair is the same color as polished silver and her skin is the same shade as all winter fae; a very light ice blue." _

"_But aren't you a winter fae?" I asked in confusion as she finished her description. "You're not blue!" I said loudly and glared at her, thinking that she'd been lying to me my whole life._

"_But I am, dear one, I promise. You know I have magic. I have made myself look human so that I fit in," she told me and I continued to glare at her as a small pout formed on my lips._

"_I want to see you blue!" I commanded and she sighed heavily, but smiled nonetheless. Suddenly her skin shimmered and went from a gleaming pale white to the color of ice, though it didn't appear at all crystal-like; it looked like normal skin, just a different color._

"_Pretty…" I said, leaning over my desk to take her hand in my much smaller one. I examined her skin more closely._

"_You like it?" she asked. Again, as that seven year old child I hadn't noticed the tremor in her voice, nor the pleading yearn for acceptance in her eyes as she watched me. But I did now._

"_I love it!" I said in a gleeful shout. "I want you blue all the time!" Elsa broke into a big smile at this and leaned forward to kiss my forehead._

"_I will be blue for you whenever it is just the two of us. But when others are around, I will have to be normal, ok?" I pouted for a moment so she kissed each of my cheeks and tickled my ribs a little until I giggled. I gave in._

"_Ok, ok!" I said and smiled happily up at her, content in the knowledge that Elsa would always be there, and that I would get to see her blue all the time._

I gasped loudly, my heart thudding in my chest as I woke up. Normally that dream wouldn't be a nightmare; it was usually a very nice and comforting one. However, this time it wasn't so pleasant at all. It was a nightmare because Elsa—my steady, consistent, always there Elsa—has been missing for three days.

I turned my head slowly to gaze at my bedside table where the snowflake necklace Elsa had gifted to me so long ago I couldn't remember had lain on a satin pillow. A few hours after I watched Elsa run through the open sea, away from Arendelle, I was struck with a grief so powerful that I had fallen to my knees and burst into sobs before I really understood what I was feeling. It was radiating from the snowflake at my neck. I could feel it almost as if waves were crashing into my chest where the charm met my skin. And for the first time since putting it on, I took the charm off. I couldn't handle the sorrow that rushed through me whenever I touched it, so I had folded it into a handkerchief and kept it in a pocket of my dress instead of around my throat. I knew, somehow, that what I felt coming from that charm was what Elsa was feeling; except she must be feeling even worse. I feared it wasn't even close to what she was feeling. I had never felt anything from the charm before—not even a single hint of her emotions until now.

I sat up and got out of bed, no longer tired, even though it was only an hour or two past midnight. I walked over to the door that would lead me to Elsa's bedroom.

Ever since Elsa had left and I felt the emotions from her snowflake, I had come to realize that it was no simple tracking charm around my neck. I mean, why would I feel her emotions if the charm was only meant to let her find me wherever I went. I had immediately gone to the library in search of a book on the fae, desperate to learn more about Elsa and the charm around my neck only to find an empty stretch of shelf where the book used to be. It was clear the books had been removed long ago because of all the dust that had settled on the shelf in their absence.

"But maybe…" I muttered to myself as I reached for the door handle, "Just maybe I can find my answers in here." The door was unlocked. It opened silently for me into a completely dark void—I quickly turned around and grabbed a lamp. Once lit, I returned to the door and walked into Elsa's room.

It had been years since I'd stepped foot in here and I hadn't realized how small it actually was; nothing much more than a closet, really. The bed took up over half the room, there was small chest at the foot of her bed and many shelves were along the walls. I immediately went to the shelves in hopes that the books from the library would be there. There were only a few children's books to be found, the ones she would read to me many times when I was younger. The rest of the shelves seemed to be filled with meaningless little trinkets.

I picked up a small blue stone that rested next to one of my favorite stories and examined it closely. It looked so familiar yet I couldn't place it in my memory. Then, suddenly, images flooded my thoughts.

_I was looking down at my four-year-old self. The little me was splashing happily in a spring not far from the castle, obviously having great fun as she searched for shiny rocks under the water. She let out a loud cry of joy and ran up to me, stopping just in front. Bouncing energetically, she lifted both her hands up to me and resting in her palms was the blue stone. I noticed how even at that age I wore the snowflake charm around my neck._

"_For you Elsa!" she said excitedly and I giggled softly—wait, no, it was Elsa who giggled softly I realized as I saw her hand as if it was my own reach down to pick the stone out of little Anna's hands._

"_Why, thank you, Snowflake." Elsa said, holding the stone as if it was a priceless jewel. And I knew just as Elsa had herself at that moment; that it was a priceless jewel, at least to her._

"_But, why give it to me? Why not keep it for your collection?" Elsa asked, kneeling down to little Anna's height to look her in the eye as she gestured past Anna. There was a small pile of rocks by the river side._

"_It matches your eyes!" was Anna's simple reply, causing Elsa to giggle again, pulling her into a tight hug as she clutched the blue stone to her heart. It was a gift from Anna more valuable to her than any gem in the world._

I gasped as the images faded and my sight returned. I gazed in awe at the stone in my hands. "Had Elsa enchanted it with memories?" I thought in wonder, both at the fact that I had just experienced Elsa's memory and at the emotions I had felt—or, rather, Elsa had felt at even such a small gift as this.

I placed the stone back on the shelf and eagerly reached for another item, hoping that something similar would happen and I would get to see Elsa again.

This time the item was a small seashell necklace, and this piece I remembered right away. Elsa had fashioned this necklace out of seashells when she took me on a trip to the beach. I was 12 years old at the time. It was a beautiful thing, though I hadn't liked it very much. One day I decided to "lose" it and tell Elsa I couldn't find it. The fact that it was here in her room told me she was never fooled and I felt a small twinge of guilt at the memory of myself dropping it over the castle wall. I was about to put it back on the shelf when memories started to flow from the trinket.

_I was twelve years old at the time. Obviously, I thought I was walking alone along the castle wall overlooking the harbor, but clearly Elsa had been watching from a distance as that's where I was currently watching the memory unfold. Elsa felt content and happy as she watched me. Suddenly, my other self stopped and reached into her pocket. I watched myself pull out a small object that simmered and caught the light. Other-Anna dropped it over the wall. There was a sharp pain in Elsa's chest as she realized what the item was and she quickly jumped over the wall herself, landing like a cat on the rocky shore below. Looking up to make sure I wasn't looking down to where it had fallen, Elsa made her way over the boulders until she found the shells shattered on a stone. Elsa gathered the pieces together and started to sing. It was a song I had never heard her sing before and I didn't know any of the words spoken, but I was amazed as I watched through Elsa's eyes how the shells started to reform and connect as if they had never broken in the first place. The thick thread she had used to string it all together did not fix itself, however, though she did pick it up, intending to fix it completely..._

This time I was shaking when the memories ended. I was heavy with the weight of guilt on my heart and shoulders. I had tossed her gift away without any thought, other than how I could do it without her finding out. _A gift she had crafted herself and I treated it like trash._

I gazed around on the shelves more carefully, this time looking for other trinkets I recognized. My eyes settled on a small wooden knight that I remembered playing with as a child. I reached for it gingerly and cradled it in my hands as I waited for the memories to take hold.

_I was five years old this time—Elsa and I were acting out a story from one of my story books before bed. We acted it out, with me changing a few lines and actions to fit where my little mind was taking the story. Elsa took everything in stride, laughing where I wanted, making different voices for the different characters._

_By the end, the story was a confusing jumbled mess that made no sense at all but I didn't care; I was gazing to Elsa as if she were the best thing in the whole world. And I could feel Elsa's joy to be with me, to give me what I wanted._

_I ended up falling asleep on the floor and Elsa picked me up gently, as she had many times before, and carried me to bed. She tucked me in all snuggly and kissed my forehead softly before she whispered,_

"_Goodnight, little one. I love you." I stirred at her words and cracked my eyes to peer up sleepily. I then reached one hand up and pulled her head down to me, kissing her on the forehead like she done to me._

"_I love you too Elsa. Goodnight." I said in my small, child-like voice._

The strength of the emotions that slammed through me at those words caused me to stagger back a step and drop the wooden knight out of my hands. Tears of joy—not mine, but Elsa's—were already streaming down my face.

Wiping them away furiously, I stared down at the small knight, remembering the jumble of emotions my words had caused.. and for the first time since Elsa had said it the night of the ball, I started to_ believe_ what she had said.

"She loves me…" I whispered softly to myself. The realization confused me even more. I had no idea how to feel about it. I mean, for one, Elsa practically raised me. For a long time I saw her as more my mother than the Queen; then as I grew older she had become my older sister, friend and mentor. And besides that I have never thought of a woman in any romantic away. I wanted a prince, a happy family and a fairy tale ending like in all the stories Elsa had read to me as a child.

I stormed out of her room, trying to outrun my confusing thoughts as I hurried to get dressed and head down to an early breakfast. The sun was still below the horizon.

-^-v-^-(Elsa)-^-v-^-

_It has been five days. I think and the storm inside me is finally contained behind a mask of complete emotionlessness; a trick I had been forced to master while in the Winter Court, but for the past seventeen years I have used very sparingly._ But I had to return to Anna, and the only way I could do that was with my powers firmly intact and my emotions firmly in hand.

"Mother…" I whispered softly as I stared up at the sky above. I hadn't spoken to my mother in over a hundred years. I knew she was dead and gone, but for a long time I still spoke to her as if she was looking down from the stars. I had always been looking for help and for guidance. If ever I needed her help and her guidance.. it was now. I had ran like a fool into the middle of the ocean without any food and I had not been able to sleep more than an hour at a time for the last couple of days. I was spent and could barely find the energy to so much as stand anymore.

"I know I haven't spoken to you in a while—and I'm sorry." I continued to speak as firmly as I could, not letting my voice stutter or crack with emotion or exhaustion. I honestly wasn't sure switch of myself. "I need your help, mother; your strength. I now understand the struggle you went through with your own true love, and, honestly, I don't know how you did it—how you survived and still were able to show such love to my sisters and I. I need that strength now if I am to face Anna again and continue to serve her as I always have."

At the end of my words, a strong gust of wind blew across the frozen water, grabbing and pulling at my clothes as if trying to lift me to my feet. I jerked away, startled, and once again the wind came stronger than before and it nearly rolled me over. It was on the fourth gust of wind, all in the same direction, that I noticed they were pushing me in the direction of my croí fíor—_of Anna_—and I smiled slightly, getting to my feet and starting the slow and painful walk home. I stumbled and I fell many times, weak as I was from hunger and energy spent, but each time the wind came again to pick me up.

-^-v-^-(Merida)-^-v-^-

"I think we have found her, Your Majesty," spoke an amber skinned fae as he rushed over to me the moment I returned from my morning ride. Once he was within a few feet of me he dropped to one knee and bowed his head.

"Found who, Kris? Be specific." I snapped, swinging off my horse. I was in a very foul mood this morning, for the first time in years I had not returned with a game kill for this evening's meal. I had, in fact, seen no large game at all on my entire ride. There were plenty of birds, a few small rabbits and other small creatures of the forest, but nothing worth my time.

"The Winter Queen, Your Majesty. We think we have finally found her." That roused my attention immediately and a predatory grin spread across my face at the thought of finally locating my sister, without the protection of her guards.

"Where?" I asked, walking past him towards my castle. I was already planning who and what to take on my next hunting trip.

"A small human kingdom called Arendelle, Your Majesty. We have had reports of a winter fae living in the castle but we paid it little mind. Elsa had always let her fae mingle with humans. But nearly a week ago a large surge of winter magic was felt from hundreds of miles away by many of our scouts. By all their reports, it seems the surge came from Arendelle's capital. I think the winter fae reported to be living there may, in fact, be the Queen herself."

I just nodded as he finished his report and I waved him off as a silent dismissal upon entering my throne room. There at the foot of my throne rested a large black panther currently basking in the sunlight coming through the large windows.

"Kisha, come!" I barked, causing the panther to rouse instantly and bound over to me. I tenderly scratched his jaw as he rubbed into my side. His shoulders were nearly as high as my own. His fur was a sleek tar black and his eyes a bright piecing green. "We have a big hunt ahead of us, boy." I whispered into his ear before heading to my room to pack for the journey. Kisha would follow in my shadow.

**Author's Note:** Thank you all so much for the love you have given this idea of mine :D I am having great fun writing it and I hope you all had as much fun if not more reading.


End file.
